


It is love we must hold onto

by askynote



Category: SKAM (TV)
Genre: 5+1 Things, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-03
Updated: 2017-04-03
Packaged: 2018-10-14 05:59:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,988
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10530351
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/askynote/pseuds/askynote
Summary: Five times Isak went to Even's home, and one time Even went to his.(At some point in the night, Even’s hand squeezes his under the table, and this time, when Isak squeezes back, he meets Even’s eyes and smiles.)





	

**Author's Note:**

> Title and quote from below came from [here](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WnLsaCLdoMQ) because I'm cheesy.

_Love is beauty, love is pure_

_Love pays no mind to desolation_

_It flows like a river through the soul_

_Protects, persists, and perseveres_

_And makes us whole_

* * *

**1.**

“It's okay if you're nervous.”

“I'm not nervous. I'm totally chill. One hundred percent.”

“Mhm.”

“Seriously.”

“Okay.”

Even laces their fingers together, squeezing his hand lightly. Isak keeps staring at the front, at the streets lights, and at the cars passing by. He rubs his thumb over Even’s knuckles to let him know that he’s still on board, even if his palms are sweating, and his stomach is a bundle of knots.

He opts to focus on Even’s presence, his shoulder brushing Isak’s, their joined hands. It helps to ease his mind and prevents bad thoughts from arising to the surface.

Weeks ago, Even said his parents would love him, but that was before _everything_ . What if their parents realize Isak is not good enough for him? That Isak won't be able to handle Even at his worst because he left him alone, wandering off in the streets with no clothes that night. What if they are so used to having Sonja around that they can not trust someone else? After all, they have known her for _four fucking years_ , probably more since they used to be friends first, and Isak bets they hardly know anything else than his name _._

“Hey.” They are standing on the porch of Even’s house already, and he can barely swallow. Even caresses his cheek, lifting Isak’s head so he can press their lips in a soft, chaste kiss that leaves Isak’s fingers tingling with something more than just anxiety. “You'll be fine.”

Isak nods once, and Even opens the door.

For a moment he thinks no one’s home because everything is too quiet, but as Even leads him through the living room, he catches a soft melodic voice and the thrumming of a guitar. Soon, he discovers that it comes from the kitchen, where there’s a woman humming along with the music while she peels some potatoes.

“Hi, mom.”

“Oh! Hi, sweetheart. Didn't hear you enter.” She turns to Isak with a kind, wide smile that resembles her son’s. Isak can see a lot of her in Even, in the way they both seem to brighten up a room with their sole presence. “Hello! You must be Isak. It's so nice to meet you.”

Isak is a little taken back when she hugs him, but he tries to mask the surprise as best as he can after she pulls away. “Hello. It's nice to meet you too.”

“I’ve been looking forward to seeing you. Even has talked wonders about you.”

“Really?” Isak shoots him an astonished look, and Even just shrugs and winks, a tiny smile tugging at the corner of his mouth.

An alarm sets off and Even’s mom goes to put something out of the oven. By the smell of it, Isak can tell it will taste good.

“Your father called. He is on the way home. Meanwhile, you and your boyfriend just make yourselves comfortable.”

Isak can’t help the shivers the word _boyfriend_ gives him. _He_ has a boyfriend, and it’s so surreal that it makes him giddy.

“Will do.” Even takes Isak’s hand again and tells him softly, “Let's go, boyfriend.”

Isak thanks his mom for having him as Even starts walking them away, taking both of them directly to his room.

 _Eager_ , Isak thinks, his stomach twirling.

Whatever words he was going to say to tease him about it, get lost in Even’s mouth as his back is pressed against the door. Isak sighs contently, burying his hands in Even’s hair.

Isak thinks they pull away too soon, but their heavy breaths tell otherwise. He always thinks they pull away too soon, but not as in a never-enough desperate feeling and more like he wants to linger it, he wants to keep drowning in Even’s lips and forget about everything else, because Even makes him whole, like there's nothing else he needs.

“You’re cute.” Even pushes a curl out of his eye, running a hand through his hair then through his cheek. “And fuck, you look so good today.”

Isak resists the urge to look down at his shoes, “And others day I look meh?”

“No, you always look good. You're gorgeous. But today feels like you could make me combust just by glancing at you.”

The blood that runs to his face is instant, and his heart thumps so rapidly that he fears it’s going to come out right of his chest.

It’s still crazy how Even can throw compliments so freely and sound so sincere while giving them. Isak will add that to the endless list of reasons of why he's so gone for this boy.

Isak says, “You're so dramatic.” Because he sucks entirely, and he's still learning to stop dismissing compliments with snarky responses and let his emotions out in the open.

Isak pecks him a one, two, three times to compensate for the lack of reaction and decides to take a look at Even’s room. There's a blue bookshelf in one of the corners, the sides covered with multiple doodles and scribbles made with black marker. It's filled with a stack of books and films—from CDs to some old VHS. Isak runs his fingers through the spines and then traces the lines of the wood. There are words written, full of meaning and others full of irritation; there are funny drawings and sad drawings; some are beautiful and messy; others are beautiful and meticulous. It's like Even’s being has been embodied in one single place.

“I used to do it to keep me distracted.” Even is lying on his bed, arms behind his head, watching Isak with appraising eyes.

“Did it work?”

“Sometimes.”

Isak kneels to keep peeking at the shelf and feels the excitement bubble as he notices plenty of board games stored in a wicker box. Isak looks inside of it until one catches his attention. He hasn’t played it for a long time, and he just really, really like board games, so he pulls out the deck of UNO, shaking off the dust and eagerly sits down next to Even.

“So you wanna play?”

Even laughs softly, amused, but nods anyway.

The game keeps them entertained for at least half an hour, and Isak is not sure if he has really bad luck, or Even is extremely good at the this, since somehow he always ends up with draw four, draw two and plenty of skip cards, while Isak is left full of cards of the same color.

After six rounds of Even winning and Isak trying to complain about cheating—which is damn hard to do when Even’s eyes are tingling with happiness—Even’s mom calls them to dinner.

Isak meets Even’s father, who warms up to him immediately and makes sure to always add Isak into their conversation while they are eating. Isak enjoys seeing his parents’ light-hearted banter, their jokes and even their light teasing that has Isak blushing slightly and Even rolling his eyes. And it’s all so very good.

At some point in the night, Even’s hand squeezes his under the table, and this time, when Isak squeezes back, he meets Even’s eyes and smiles.

 

**2.**

Even has a cute dog and it's almost enough to make Isak’s day less stressful. Almost.

He has to finish his assignment to send it by the end of the day, and so far he has written the title and one single sentence. But who can blame him when he has a beautiful boyfriend being all cute while playing fetch with his cute dog. It all seems like a personal attack. He should be offended.

Even’s laugh makes him look up from his laptop for the tenth time. He's on the grass, trying to take the ball from his dog’s muzzle. His eyes are crinkled, and the sun hits his hair in a way that Even would surely describe as cinematic.

He stares at his empty document again, slams his head against the wall and lets out a long and deep sigh.

Suddenly, his snapback is pulled down, covering his eyes. And honestly? Isak doesn't mind to stay that way all day.

There are three taps against the bill. “Hello? Is anyone home.”

Instead of answering, Isak crosses his arms over his chest and grunts.

Isak hears Even dragging a chair so he’s sitting next to Isak. Even raises his bill and Isak’s heart jumps a little at Even’s proximity, just because he didn't expect to see his face so close to his own.

“Hey, grouchy face.” Even kisses his nose, and then the space between his eyebrows, as if somehow he could erase Isak’s frown, just like that.

It works.

“Take a break. You've been sitting here, all miserable, for too long.”

“And I still have written nothing.”

“Maybe you need to clear your mind.”

Isak turns to the file one more time and taps nonsense letters just to take out his frustration in some manner. He closes his laptop and sets it on the table, grabbing one of the chocolate cupcakes Even’s mom made. They have white frosting with rainbow sprinkles, and Isak figures out Even took part in the decoration as he notices I+E written in red.

“So what do you want to do?” Isak asks in-between bites.

Even whistles in answer and pats his legs several times. Chester looks up from the bush he has been inspecting and comes running to place his paws on Even’s lap. Even told him, he had adopted Chester from a shelter a year after he got diagnosed. He’s some kind of australian shepherd mix, and every time Isak sees him, he’s either always full of energy or cuddling with someone.

Even wraps his arms around his dog and glances at Isak from behind the fur. “How about we go to the park to walk Chester. I’ll let you hold his leash.”

“Umm.” Isak blinks at Chester. “I—I don't think he'll like that.”

Even gasps, putting his hand to his chest, pretending to be offended. “ _What?_ Chester _loves_ you. You know it. One day he tried to jump the fence after you left so he could follow you home.”

Isak narrows his eyes, and says after considering his words for a beat, “No, he didn't.”

“Well, maybe he didn’t jump, but he _did_ try to follow you one time,” Even amends. “I'm serious, he loves you. Right, Chester?” He lifts up the dog as best as he can, shoving him in front of Isak’s face, and it doesn’t take long before Chester starts licking his cheek, and proceeds with his entire face. Isak is glad he finished eating his cupcake before that.

“ _Even.”_ Isak tries to make a disgusted noise, but it’s impossible when the only thing he can do is giggle.

Even pulls Chester back, kissing his head as if saying _good boy, you did your job_ , and Chester’s tail wags happily. “See? He adores you, just like every member of the Bech Næsheim family.”

Isak blushes and clears his throat. “Now, I have to wash my face.”

“But now, you don’t have doubts of his love.”

Isak rolls his eyes as he stands up. “No, I don’t.” Isak ruffles Chester’s hair and leans down to press a kiss on Even’s forehead, getting a little disappointed, but not surprised, when Even doesn't recoil at him, considering the fact that he's damp in dog saliva. “I'll be right back.”

Isak has spent so much time at Even’s house that it doesn't feel awkward to wander inside without Even beside him. There's a kind of comfort in the smell of lavender and freshly cooked food, on the sight of red walls, blue curtains, and abstract paintings.

He quickly goes to the bathroom to throw water at his face and notices at the same time how messy and frizzy his hair is. Isak fails at smoothing it down and gives up by placing his snapback on his head.

And Even complains about him wearing caps the majority of the time.

When Isak comes back, Even is finishing fastening Chester leash and offers it to Isak as soon as he spots him.

Isak takes a step back and eyes the cord with wariness. “I've never walked a dog before.” The closest thing Isak has ever had to a pet was a turtle named Barry because at that time Isak thought it was funny to give him an ironic name—and maybe he still does, a little.

“It's not that hard. With Chester, at least, he doesn't pull too hard.” Even keeps holding out the leash for him, expectant.

Isak bites his bottom lip but complies. Maybe one day he will be able to say no to that face, but for now, Isak would give him everything he asked for, even if that means Isak will probably be dragged across Oslo by a dog. How much do those dogs weigh, by the way? How can Even expect him to be able to control him?

Even puts an arm around Isak’s waist, bringing him closer. “Alright, let's go, baby. We will walk a few blocks, and go to the park because you totally have to slide with him.”

“Are you serious?” Even raises his eyebrows, quizzically. “Even, I don’t think he fits—”

“Yes, he does and he loves it.”

Isak shakes his head and laughs.

Outside, Even walks close enough so their fingers brush, and Isak appreciates the sentiment. It's harder in the daylight with people coming and going from everywhere, some casually glancing at them, not necessarily judging, and it’s still enough to make his back prickle, and his hands itch. But he's not sure if it's the need of comfort after not being able to finish his stupid work, or if it's just the deep fondness he feels for Even, that makes Isak feel a little brave and intertwine their hands.

Even doesn't comment anything at that, but his face softens and his lips curve up into a smile, which, Isak hopes, is reflecting some sort of pride.

“You know what we will do after we get home?”

“What?”

“I’ll make you a mug of hot cocoa with all the marshmallows you want, and you will continue with your essay with all the inspiration you’ll get thanks to fresh air.”

Isak beams, and Chester tugs at the leash.

Perhaps this day is not as awful as it first seemed.

 

**3.**

When Isak knocks, he has this tiny bit of hope that Even will open the door.

But he doesn't. Instead, there is Even’s mom looking at Isak a little surprised, a little hopeful. She lets Isak in, and he sits on the couch, fidgeting with his hands. He doesn't know if he's relieved or baffled that there’s not a hint of disappointment or anger on her face. She's just quiet and possibly upset about the situation in general. She must not know about what happened between them, but she must have predicted something from their behavior this week.

“Even went out to buy some groceries. He should be here soon,” she says. “You want something, dear? To drink? To eat?”

“I'm fine but thanks.”

“Are you sure? I bought cookies.” Isak is about to decline again as she storms off the room and rapidly returns with a tray full of what must be blueberry cookies. “I’ll leave them on the table in case you change your mind.”

It seems like she wants to say something else, but her gaze is so appraising that Isak’s eyes stay put on the cookies, his fingers twisting the threads of his hoodie.

“Honey, I want to tell you a thing,” Even’s mom speaks up, somehow sounding gentle but firm. “You two are so _young_ , and young people’s emotions are so intense that sometimes you feel at the top of the world at one moment, and then that your chest is being crushed at the other. And—that's not necessarily a bad thing, you know? It's a part of being alive. So don't—be so hard on yourself for feeling a certain way at a certain moment, okay?”

Isak wonders if she ever told Even this, at those times of guilt and desperation that Isak is aware Even gets on really bad days. Or if she told him this when he was child, confused about everything happening around him. Isak wonders if Even recalls those words on his mind when there's no one else to remind him.

Isak gulps and finally meets her eyes. He nods.

After that, Isak is alone with only his thoughts and the ticking of the big clock behind him for an exaggerated big amount of time.

Then, the door is opening and Isak’s heart skipped a bit, either from anxiety or just because he hasn’t seen Even in days.

Even doesn't notice him as he shrugs his jacket off, or as he takes off his shoes, but when he finally does, they both stay frozen and stare at each other as if they couldn't believe what they are seeing. As if the image right in front of them were to dissipate as soon as they try to reach it.

But Isak can't stay like that for too long. Not when his boyfriend is right in front of him, and Isak aches to put him on a tight embrace and never, ever let go.

“Hi,” Isak says, and it sounds smaller and shaky than he intended to.

“Hi.” Even blinks and looks down at the bags he's holding. “I will just leave this—” he trails off, making a motion with his hand and gesturing to the kitchen.

“Yeah, sure. Go ahead.”

Isak shoves his hands into his pockets, his gaze fixed on his shoes.

When Even comes back, he approaches him until he is right in front of Isak. Even extends his hand, slow and hesitant as an invitation to back out if he wants, reaches his cheek and strokes it gently. Something inside of him just settles, like everything is right where it belongs to.

Isak leans his forehead with Even’s and breathes out, “I'm sorry.”

“I _am_ sorry.”

And it's enough for both because they _know_ that is sincere and they regret and have been regretting some words that were said from the moment they came out of their mouths. There’s still a lot they need to talk about and they will, but for this moment, for this minute, it’s enough.

Isak wraps his arms around Even’s neck and holds him as tight as he wanted to do before.

His soft breathing, steady heartbeat, warm skin against his. That and more is what Isak missed, what made impossible for him to close his eyes on lonely nights, when the bed felt too cold and big, when he waited for his phone to go off and wished he would see cheesy lyrics and heart emojis. But now, he has everything again, and he wants to be soaked in all.

Even leans his head down and nuzzles his nose against Isak’s, his voice barely a whisper, “I hate fighting with you.”

Isak brushes a piece of Even’s hair and tugs it behind his ear. He keeps his hand there, rubbing circles.

“I know.” The _me too_ , goes unsaid. “But it’s going to be unavoidable. That’s how relationships are.” Isak is not an expert whatsoever, there’s so much he has to learn, but he has seen the mess through other people, and he refuses to let those fights end with the most incredible thing that has ever happened to him. “I guess, what makes it worth it is when the good times overcome the bad ones.”

Even kisses his forehead, lingering. His eyes are brightly blue. Isak allows himself to get lost in them.

They lie down on the couch, Even’s hand on his back, pulling him close while Isak traces his fingers along Even’s free hand.

The quiet in the room that follows after doesn’t make him feel uncomfortable or uneasy. It’s just quiet in the safest kind of way.

 

**4.**

It’s not that Isak is bad at catching food with his mouth, Even just sucks at throwing it.

“How is it my fault?”

“You have to aim!”

“I do,” Even laughs. “You're bad at this. Admit it!”

“I'm not!”

“Okay, then, throw it yourself and catch it.”

Isak huffs. “Sure.”

He tosses one of the grapes into the air and pulls his head back, opening his mouth as it falls towards him. Isak is expecting it to land on his tongue, but because he has the habit of embarrassing himself in front of Even, it falls a little farther than Isak thought and pokes him directly on the eye.

Isak curses and snaps his head up.

Even is grinning at him, trying to stifle his laughter.

“Not a word.”

Even shrugs, but by the way he’s digging his teeth into his lip, Isak can tell he’s fighting so hard to not tease him.

Isak appreciates the effort until Even plucks another grape from the bunch to fling it and catch it gracefully with his mouth.

Isak shoots him an annoyed glare that quickly melts when Even blows him a kiss as a response. And really, none can blame him, not when his boyfriend is attractive as hell, has a smile that could light up the entire country, and sees beauty in everything in a way Isak is not sure he will ever understand. Isak loves him very much, even when he's an asshole.

“Try this.” Even is holding something akin to a brownie in front of him, and it looks really good, so Isak opens his mouth.

“You made it?”

“Yeah.” Isak keeps chewing, a little self-conscious at Even’s expectant stare. “So...you like it?”

Isak nods fervently—it does taste _good_ —and eats the rest of the dessert.

Even looks as pleased as everytime he watches Isak devour everything he prepares.

But like, Isak ate an entire toast full of rosemary and BBQ sauce, so it's not as if he's the best at judging food. If it's edible, he's ninety percent sure he would eat it, and if it's Even who cooked, then it highers to one hundred percent.

Isak is about to ask the name of what exactly he's eating when droplets start to fall. He lifts his head and finds that the sky has turned into a dull gray. The drizzle picks up, pouring down on them.

“Oh, Jesus.”

Even stands on his feet and extends a hand to hoist him up. He seems completely thrilled with the turn of events.

“Come on!”

They run across the park, and Even takes off his jacket to cover both of their heads, which helps a little, but it's not enough to deprive them of getting soaked in some parts. Isak watches out his steps—slipping on wet grass would not be ideal.

They decide to take the route to Even’s house since it’s closer than Isak’s apartment. When they get to the door, rather than reaching for his keys, Even eyes the storm behind Isak, thoughtful and appraising.

“What's wrong?”

A cheeky grin appears slowly on Even’s face, and it takes him less than five seconds to understand what he's up to.

“Even—”

“Isak.” Isak sighs loudly. The wind is howling, the few people outside are running to find cover, some trying to keep their umbrellas from blowing away.

“We _have_ to,” Even insists. “The scenery is too perfect to let it go to waste.”

Isak sighs again, but his lips quirk up. Even is rambling about how _is such a classic_ and _it was settled we were going to reenact every single romantic cliché ever made,_ and Isak’s heart is soaring. He cradles Even’s face in his hands. Even shuts up, his eyes staring intently at him. Isak pulls him down for a kiss.

The second their lips touch, Isak feels lighter, free. Kissing Even could be a lot of things, from urgent bursts to soft sweet gestures. Right now, the kiss is warm lips and steady movements, like quiet nights under the stars and soft music playing in the background. Even drops his arms to get closer, and in consequence, the jacket covering them. The water is freezing, and Isak jumps, letting out a gasp but doesn’t dare to break the kiss, not when Even’s arms are around his waist, clutching at his sides. So instead, Isak tangles his hands on his already wet hair and pulls him close.

The rumble of a distant thunder breaks them apart, bringing Isak back to reality. And that’s when he realizes, he’s cold as fuck and soaked to the skin. Perhaps, they could have done this under a more gentle rain, that way they would've stayed outside longer, and Isak wouldn't be so uncomfortable with his clothes sticking to his skin.

Even’s eyes are still closed, and he's leaning forward again. This time, though, Isak keeps it short because he can no longer ignore the storm around them, and he wants to dry himself up and bury under the covers with Even at his side.

“Come on, let’s go inside. You already had your dramatic kiss or whatever.”

Even’s lips curve. “You can't deny it was worth it.”

“You're such a sap.”

“You love it.”

“Yeah, I do.”

 

**5.**

Even has stayed with his parents for two weeks. At the beginning of the third one, Isak sends Even a text to tell him if it’s okay if he stops by, to which Even responds, _i won’t be too much fun right now_

Isak purses his lips and stops in the middle of the sidewalk.  

_you know i don’t care_

_just want to see you <3 _

He clutches his phone, waiting for what it seems to be an eternity. If Even doesn’t want him there, there’s nothing he can do but go back to his flat and talk to him via text like they’ve been doing these several days, but then his phone goes off, interrupting his train of thoughts.  

_okay_

So Isak keeps walking, putting his phone back into his pocket.

Even’s parents aren’t home when he arrives, but the door is not locked. Isak guesses they must have known he was coming.

He hears water running from the bathroom on his way to Even’s room, so he decides to build a blanket fort for them to lie on the floor, gathering all the pillows he can find around the room.

Isak gets startled when Even opens the door, his hair all messy and wet from the shower, wearing sweatpants and one of the hoodies Isak forgot the last time he was here.

“Hey,” Isak says, patting the spot next to him. “Come lie with me?”

Even leaves the towel on his bed and sits with his legs crossed. He doesn’t say anything else as he kisses him, slow and sweet.

Isak lies them down and holds Even tight against his chest, pressing his cheek against Even’s hair.

“So you wanna do something? Watch a movie? Make some food?”

Isak can feel the way Even’s chest contracts and expands as he breathes. “Just talk to me,” he murmurs. “About anything.”

“Okay.”

And so Isak talks. He talks about how he and Sana couldn’t stop fighting about the right answer in the majority of their assignments this week. He talks about how Magnus managed to embarrass himself again in front of a girl. He talks about Jonas trying to teach Isak a new trick in the skateboard, which of course, ended up in a fiasco. He talks about Eskild staying at the frame of his bedroom until Isak finally cleaned it up, and then proceeded to spray him with some citrus fragrance.

Even’s laugh lights up the whole room. Isak feels a sense of accomplishment, because he did that. He made that happen.

Even puts on his music and gives Isak an earphone. He keeps it on low volume, humming at times, while they have their arms around each other, their legs tangled. Isak grabs his biology book and starts reading aloud the chapter in which he has to write an assignment for Wednesday.

Even listens with his eyes closed, and Isak doesn’t notice when he falls asleep until Even’s playlist ends.

Isak puts his book away and runs his thumb through Even’s cheek and then his lips. Isak observes his relaxed features, the shadows of his lashes falling on his skin, the bags under his eyes indicating he hasn’t been sleeping well.

Isak takes the earphones from both of them and covers them with the duvet.

When Even doesn’t stir the entire night and wakes up until the next day, Isak considers it as a small victory.

 

**+1**

There has been a constant pressure on his chest since that morning, and Isak just wants to be able to breathe properly.

Logically, he shouldn't be so jittery. He _knows_ that, okay? But it will be a miracle the day a certain part of his brain listens to the logical side of it.

“Should I have worn a tie?” Even asks him, scanning his shirt for the millionth time. “I mean, I know it's not anything fancy, but it doesn't mean I can't wear one.”

Isak makes a noncommittal sound. Even already looks too good with his jeans and that dark blue button shirt, and he put on some kind of cologne that makes Isak want to return to the kollektiv and kiss Even until their lips are sore. Meanwhile, Isak is wearing the only clean shirt he could find and worn out jeans.

Even grips his elbow and furrows his eyebrows. “Okay so...are you more scared right now than when you met my parents?”

“No. Somewhat. I don't know. Why do you say that?”

“Because we’ve been standing outside the door for five minutes.”

Isak takes a deep breath and tells himself that it’s not a _big_ deal. It’s not like he’s coming home without his parents knowing he’s dating a boy. It’s not like they answered his message with hate or disappointment. It’s not like they called him a disgrace or that they wouldn’t want to see him again

And yet.

“I guess I always kinda feel weird around them since I moved out, and—it's better now than it was before. But—” Isak shrugs. He really doesn’t have a good reason, at least one that he could truly define. “Whatever. I don’t know. It won’t be that bad. The worst scenario would be having the most awkward morning ever.”

Even tilts his head. “But they were okay to meet me, right?”

“Yes, yeah” Isak assures quickly, “They were the ones setting up the whole thing.”

Even bounces on his heels. “Okay.”

“And you?” Isak asks. Even seemed calm and collected on the way, even though he spent more than an hour choosing what to wear. Sometimes, Isak forgets he’s not the only one dealing with some insecurities. “How nervous are you?”

Even flicks his gaze from Isak to the sign with the names of all his family members. Isak doesn’t know why it hasn’t been removed when there’s only one of them living in there, but it stirs something inside of him. “The normal amount, I guess. Because they are your parents after all, and I want them to like me. But they did invite me, and that's definitely something so...so far I’m good.”

Isak rubs his sweaty hands. He doesn’t want to give Even reasons to believe something could go wrong, after all, Isak has stayed more in contact with his parents since December. He is just thinking too much, but screw that, it’s not like they are going to stay here all day until Isak manages to get his shit together, so in an impulsive motion, he rings the bell.

His mom greets them with a gentle smile and lets them in. His father is standing right behind her and comes closer to shake Even’s hand. It's all so natural and oddly familiar that Isak feels himself relax.

They sit at the table, and his parents ask how he has been doing, they also ask Even trivial things to get to know him. And maybe his dad makes a bad joke at one moment that has his mom rolling her eyes, but Even lets out a sincere laugh because he's _Even._ And maybe they also ask them their story, and he and Even exchange looks and try not to bust out laughing, nevertheless Isak tells them a vague story, enough to satisfy them, because well—he's not going to tell them about how he went to kosegroup to have his friends’ weed back, or how Even made them break into some stranger's house just so they could have an out-of-ordinary first kiss. And while all the little details are important to Isak, and he guards them close to his heart, his mother doesn't need to know everything to make her eyes twinkle with something Isak can't decipher.

Really, it’s all too good that Isak thinks about pinching himself and see if he's dreaming.

At least until Even notices one of the photos hanging on the wall.

“Is it you?” He’s grinning so hard, and Isak waits for the floor to open and swallow him up, because of all the things he fretted about, he forgot about _that._

“You see that bow tie?” his mom says. “The photo shoot took longer than it should because he couldn’t stand that bow tie, and Isak managed to took it off before the camera snapped. It took us so long to keep him still.”

Even laughs softly, and turns to Isak. “You looked cute.”

“Yeah, well, all babies tend to have that effect on people.”

“You should bring the album,” his dad says, and no, that’s not going to happen.

“No, she shouldn’t.”

His mom stands up. “You want to see some photos, Even?”

“No, he doesn’t.”

“Sure.”

Isak throws Even a glare, who pays him no mind. So Isak has to endure a half hour of his parents and Even cooing at his embarrassing baby photos, and silly stories about Isak, like how he was already trying to walk at the ninth month, or how he used to stare dumbfoundedly at people who made those stupid sounds to make him laugh.

“He was such a well-behaved baby, though. Rarely woke us up in the nights.” his mother says, patting Isak’s knee. “He was very shy around strangers, but every time he smile at us, we felt special. That he reserved those gestures for the people who matter.”

A lump forms in his throat, something warm spreads through him. Even is looking at him with a soft, knowing smile.

He wants to tell her _I’m sorry I left_ or _I’m sorry I couldn’t help you._ In the end, he ends up telling her _I’m glad you’re better_ when they are alone.

“I’m glad too, my son” she replies as she hugs him, and Isak buries his face in her neck.

Later that day, they return to Isak’s flat, and Isak kisses Even unceasingly in the privacy of his room, the latter letting out a surprised noise, and then, kisses him back. Isak is so elated and relieved, mostly relieved.

“That went well,” Even says, while stroking Isak’s face.

“Yeah. I was afraid we would end up fighting or something. But it was good.”

Even keeps pressing kisses all over his face, Isak just leans into the touch. “Your father said we should have dinner with mine, one day. The six of us”

Isak hums, nuzzling Even’s neck. “That’ll be nice.”

“Yeah?”

Isak nods, meaning it, and brings their lips back together.

Right now, at this moment, life is good.

**Author's Note:**

> -Okay so I kept thinking "I want to finish this before the next season starts" but also checking every day if the trailer had dropped, so I thought what if we have no trailer because I haven't finished this?? *side eyes* so I spent the weekend editing this, so if the trailer drops after this you can all blame it on me.  
> -Sorry if there are any mistakes though, sometimes my hands don't do what my brain tells them but makes me believe I've actually corrected the typos.  
> -Even's dog was originally going to be called Cheddar, you know like in B99, but for some reason, I kept thinking Chester and it just stuck.  
> -Also, someone got sick on that kiss under the rain, and I'm not telling you it was Isak, but it was totally him and he complained all week.  
> -Finally, I have a [tumblr](https://askybison.tumblr.com/) if you want to stop by.  
> Thanks for reading <3 <3


End file.
